Undergraduate / People controlling their lives - UCF admission essay [NEW]

Why did you choose to apply to UCF?

I have always been a firm believer that people control their own future. After closely examining everything that UCF has to offer, and at the risk of sounding cheesy, I decided that I genuinely wanted UCF to be apart of my future. During the countless hours of researching colleges to apply to, I disregarded many of them because the logical side of me knew that I had a less than spectacular chance of getting in. While reviewing the freshman academic profile, I was convinced that UCF was going to be one of those schools. Despite this, I continued to look into UCF and was more and more impressed with everything I saw. Because of this, I was persuaded to take a chance and apply. The qualities that first attracted me to UCF were the excellent undergraduate research opportunities, the diversity in the student body, and a gorgeous campus in one of the greatest cities in the world. But the factor that made the biggest impression on me was talking to UCF students. I have several friends that attend UCF, and no matter how many I questioned, they all had nothing but positive things to say about the school. From an outstanding campus life, to dedicated and involved faculty members, everyone I talked to said relatively the same thing: They couldn't imagine going anywhere besides UCF. I have never experienced students that have such an intense pride in their school, and a pride that goes far beyond their sports teams. I truly feel that UCF is a place where students can advance both personally and academically, thrive as both a student and a person, and expand their abilities in all aspects of their life.

Undergraduate / "I am unique" - UCF admission; UCF community [3]

What qualities or unique characteristics do you possess that would allow you to contribute to the UCF community?

I imagine that if I asked the people who know me best to describe me in one word, the word would probably be unique (regardless if "odd" was what they were really thinking). Throughout my life, I have always stayed true to myself, or "marched to the beat of my own drum" as my Grandmother always called it. Even during the not always pleasant adolescent experience known as high school, I never let other people's opinions affect me. I never stayed home on a Friday night because my hair wouldn't do what I wanted it to, or refused to wear a bathing suit in public because I thought my thighs were too big. Considering the fact that I am a 17 year old girl in today's society, I think that makes me unique. To me, your opinion of yourself matters more than that of anyone else. I am proud to say that I never tried to get straight blonde hair and the perfect tan like 85% of the girls in my class, or bought certain clothes because it was the "in" thing to do. I did however wear converse sneakers to the prom, and showed up on my first day of senior year with crooked bangs that I cut myself. At the end of the day, I'm perfectly happy with what I was born with, the pale complexion and the curly brown hair that often looks like it needs its own zip code. I think the qualities and characteristics I posses that would allow me to contribute to the UCF community, is that I try to show everyone I meet that you can't judge a book by its cover, that I strive to eliminate stereotypes, change people's preconceived notions, and show my peers that it truly is what's on the inside that counts. I know that there are other candidates with better grades and higher test scores, but I also know that if given the chance, I would do everything in my power to prosper and become a contributing part of the UCF community.